The Eternal Cynic

As I look around the world today I am constantly reminded of just how ignorant people can be and although continuously amazed at the depths of unawareness people seem to be sinking into, I wonder if they are at all aware of their ignorance or even where to begin in their quest to educate themselves and rise to the surface again.

Ignorance as defined by Webster is lacking education, knowledge or awareness.  I am sure at some point in our lives we have each been ignorant in one way or another.  But, are those of us suffering from some form of ignorance truly blissful as the old saying claims?  Is ignorance truly bliss?

Most of us at one point or another have received an email urging us to stop using deodorant because it causes cancer, pass along a voice from a dying cancer patient, boycott an individual because the bible clearly says they will cause the end of the world, or my personal favorite: forward this email on to all of your friends and Bill Gates, AOL, or even Applebee’s will send you lots of money for those efforts.  Of course I can’t forget all of the “inspirational” stories tacked on with some form of “threat” at the end not-so-gently warning us if it is NOT forwarded something bad is bound to happen but if we DO forward it undoubtedly something good WILL happen.  They even include specific time frames for the said events to occur and occasionally specific prophecies.  If this weren’t bad enough some of us have even forwarded them on with an added note “what can it hurt?”.

I ask do YOU who feel the need to forward such silliness on to your friends KNOW of a single person who has died from “deodorant induced cancer”?  Have you seen any of the religious predictions come to pass?  Have you received your big fat check from Bill yet?  Have you been cursed or blessed because you forwarded or didn’t forward one of those emails?  The answer to all of these is NO and yet the emails continue.

Why is it we are so willing to pass along this nonsense to everyone on our email lists, risking alienating friends and family “just in case”? Why not put a stop to the spreading of false information and if your common sense fails you and you still think it may be true, why not take the time to check it out rather than continuing the ignorance? The vast majority of email urban legends can easily be verified by visiting snopes.com and takes far less time to verify than it does to actually forward the email.

But I suppose if information is so readily passed along to our peers and kin via email, is it really a surprise when media outlets, politicians, religions etc. put out such obviously ridiculous information it is eaten up hook, line and sinker?  So much of our information seems to be accepted at face value when more of it should be researched, questioned or even pondered.  Just a few minutes to reason with ones’ self should bring to light a few nagging doubts as to the truthfulness being presented, and yet the ignorance continues.

Tomorrow is an incredibly historical event in our nation’s journey to fairness and freedom.  We may see a mixed race man become president and regardless of whether or not he does win, it clearly shows how far our country has come and yet, ignorance once again seems to prevail in areas it shouldn’t.  Barack Obama has been pegged as a Muslim and Arab by media outlets and even though John McCain himself attempted to correct some of this information; some Americans STILL believe this, despite clear evidence to the contrary.  As an American it shames me to think there are those out there unwilling to see or hear truth but rather stick with what someone has spewed out but beyond the obviously skewed information it disturbs me greatly to think a Muslim or Arab American in this country is not afforded the same rights or respect as a Christian, Jew, Black, White, Indian or Mexican citizen.  Again the ignorance is clearly evident.

I wonder if people could see their behavior, if they’d wise up and change or is the depth into their own reality so far gone they no longer can learn and change and grow?  I suppose the cynical side of me thinks people rarely change and yet I have to believe there is some hope somewhere for people to step outside of the masses and herd mentality to think for themselves.  Sadly, it seems to be more difficult than it sounds as is made clear constantly with things I see around me.

I am sure I could pick apart many examples of ignorance and its effects on our everyday lives but the point of this posting is to determine whether or not ignorance is bliss.  I think to a degree it must be, or people would change.  That being said, people are self-destructive in nature so a certain degree of masochism may encompass their ignorance; although I cannot imagine how depriving yourself of knowledge, education and growth is a positive thing.  There are so many more benefits found with an open mind and seeking out truth including a greater understanding of your own views and beliefs.  It makes little sense to me to avoid or otherwise ignore things as they really never go away; they just get masked by denials and lies.

When dealing with the law, ignorance of said laws does not make one immune from the consequences, as is true with other forms of ignorance.  I am sure the large handful of people out there still waiting for checks from Bill Gates, watching their armpits for lumps, waiting for George W. Bush to make good on his promises or more are blissfully happy with the outcome they’ve received and deserve despite the growing list of unknown “friends” who now sort their emails into the “Junk” folder.

With California now allowing same-sex marriage; the dispute between religion, government, and choice once again seems to be the forefront of conversation in communities large and small.  Many on the religious front feel it should be outlawed: however occasionally within this group a voice or two of reason shine out.  The cries of injustice and intolerance are emitted from both sides of the argument.

With such a divided topic who ultimately has the rights to determine such a thing?  Many make the claim since our country was founded on a basic belief in God and our forefathers believed God should be watching over us, shouldn’t we then follow what religion claims is “God’s” path in marriage being between man and woman for the purposes of procreation?  What about our forefathers’ request of a separation between church and state?  Should that then be ignored in the favor of religion?  Our country was founded on the principle of freedom and equality for all.  For those who have their right to religion and freedoms, those same freedoms should also be extended to others including gays, inter-racial couples etc.

Often the argument is brought up regarding others rights including pedophiles etc.  If we allow gays to marry why not allow pedophiles to do what they wish, murderers and the like,  since there is after all a fundamental belief being gay is “harmful”?  This is absolutely ridiculous.  Those situations involving forcing and/or harming other individuals.  Gay marriage or even just a gay relationship is a choice by both parties to entertain, just like straight couples.  It is an attraction and a love mutually agreed upon by adults who are fully able to make that distinction.  They are not causing themselves or others harm by their choices, other than potentially offending those with religious beliefs that differ.  Although I would say this has more to do with the religious side allowing themselves to be offended rather than gay side inflicting offense.

My question for those of the religious sect is where are your scriptures and beliefs truly?  Although there are references to same-sex relationships in them, I’d venture to say there are far more references to treating everyone fairly, loving everyone, judging not and so on.  According to scripture, it is GOD’s right to judge and not anyone else’s.   However, even putting that argument aside: this is YOUR religious choice and preference NOT everyone else’s.  They have a right just as you do to believe in God or not.  There are enough arguments on both sides of the fence to prove or disprove his existence.  Regardless of whether or not YOU may believe God is the overall end, our laws and regulations allow for other beliefs.

According to Webster there are several definitions for marriage. I was pleased to see same-sex marriage listed in the definitions list, but I will go with the more general marriage definition “an intimate or close union”. A marriage of two people is simply that, a union between two people or things belonging together regardless of their differences.  In our world we have many opposites in both worlds that mesh together nicely no matter how strange the match may seem.  Banning or disallowing gay marriage will not stop unions or the love between same-sex couples.  It merely tells them we don’t think they are as good as the rest of heterosexual America. This is unfair. We as a country often recognize the rights of common-law marriages and yet I don’t see anyone disputing that validity despite not having a legal basis.   How are gay unions any different?

It appears we have some very hypocritical views in this country.  Freedom for all who fit in our little mold: but not for those who don’t.  This is wrong and not what this country was founded on.

I personally believe gay marriage should be sanctioned in EVERY state and recognized everywhere.  Who am I to say who another person can or can’t love?  They should be afforded every opportunity straight couples are currently given.   Everyone regardless of religion, orientation or race deserves to find true happiness in this world as long as it is a mutual love and understanding between adults.  Everyone deserves to have the same opportunities to advance and progress in this society without being impeded by outdated social views and religious ruling as was the purest most basic founding principle of this country.  Our forefathers fought to keep the religious tyranny they faced out of our country.  Don’t bring it back by trying to force religious views not shared by all on the entire nation.

I am sure the argument will be made, as I have heard many times before regarding allowing gay marriage essentially forcing those views on the religious of the nation. Again this is ridiculous.  You yourself do not have to participate in this, nor do you have to believe it is right just as the other side does not have to participate in your religion.  You simply have to do what you must in respecting those individuals’ rights and leave it be.  Your freedoms are given in expressing your own opinions and choosing not to accept what is put before you.  This does not include infringing on others freedoms by putting a stop to their rights.

I applaud those individuals and companies who have already accepted and made room for unions of all types in their world.  You are the ones who will help to change the face of our society for the betterment of all.  I only hope the rest of our country catches up.

The statistics clearly show how important this Presidential race is to Americans. Record numbers of voters are turning up to vote and political debates rage in even the smallest of circles. Everyone it seems has an opinion, I suppose it is my turn to voice my own.

It is no secret, I am a Barack Obama supporter. I find his unique approach on politics not only refreshing but incredibly promising for the future of America. Barack’s race has very little to do with race or religious preference, it would make little difference to me if he were white, purple, pink, female, muslim, christian, etc. It is his efforts and ability to enlist those around him that truly helps me to believe he will actually enact changes in our country.

I take great issue with comments that are made regarding his inexperience and how that will detract from his ability to change things in Washington. I tend to believe that his inexperience is actually an asset. Only someone who is not entirely immersed in politics as they have always been will be able to crack it wide open and make a difference.

Beyond that I hope that Americans are also watching, not just listening to what is being thrown out by other candidates and news stations. Barack Obama’s obvious ability to implement change is all around us and often left out of the news and other media sources or only briefly mentioned.

Barack has brought this election where it belongs, to the people. His my.barackobama.com and other areas of barackobama.com are ingenious ways of harnessing the power of the internet to enlist help from those who wish to do so and to utilize a medium familiar to most Americans. The election is decided by voters, it naturally should be put on their turf.

His direct approach to campaign financing once again should be proof of who it is that belongs in charge of our country. An unprecedented number of individuals have personally donated to his campaign, eliminating large lobbies and corporations from having influence in the race and what is done should the nomination and presidential race be won.

What I find most interesting is the other candidates surrounding him, only minor flaws or “dirt” has been found and in using it as fuel, the candidates in question have actually done themselves more harm than Obama. Barack tends to be very open about his associations, choices and in general who he is. Another refreshing addition to politics.

I am glad to see thus far Obama has been able to avoid participating in the major smear campaigns so typical of politics and hope that he is not forced to do so in order to defend himself.

While I have no delusions and understand completely he is still a politician in a political race and with a desire to win, I am thoroughly impressed by the changes and directions his form of politics are taking. I believe he is the only candidate on the ballot who WILL enact the changes in our country that are so desperately overdue and the proof is in his campaign.

There is an issue that plagues people and it manifests itself in a form of blind trust that I find rather unnerving. Have you ever noticed people with similar beliefs; be it religion or even simply philosophical, put a sort of trust in one another without truly knowing much about each other at all?

Quite often within communities and groups, we as individuals will place trust in an individual who may in fact be undeserving in that allowance simply because they fit a specific profile we have deemed acceptable. Sure my child can come and play with your child. You believe in the same things we do, surely you wouldn’t harm my child.

Or maybe we let them stay in our homes for a day or two because they have no where else to go and we feel badly for them. After all, they look so pitiful and harmless what damage could such an innocent soul do?

What a nice person, offering to help me carry my groceries inside. It is too bad there are so very few gentlemen left in this world.

Wow, that man is a doctor and a pillar of the community. Our daughter would be privileged to spend a day with their family.

I am sure I could list several scenarios where we knowingly put ourselves in danger not really thinking in the future enough to see the potential harm or trusting blindly in the humanity of this person or these people. We are then surprised when we are blindsided and burned by those who seemed so kind or “not the type”. Trusting people we barely know just based on their affiliation is as risky as stopping any Joe on the street and engaging them in the same manner.

What I think is often forgotten about those that commit heinous crimes, is their ability to be charismatic and often dubbed as the boy or girl next door. These individuals frequently pull the wool over the eyes of everyone they come in contact with and give them a sense of ease.

It is our job as individuals, parents, friends to be proactive in our encounters and relationships with others. Take the time to feel out a situation and environment before exposing yourself or your children to it. Listen to your intuition but don’t be blinded by it, sometimes even intuition is wrong. Most of all, remember that anyone can be the perpetrator of nefarious activities or even just an accidental mishap, winning their way into your inner circle doesn’t make them safe.

Knowing someone and building trust never fully eliminates the risk as even those who are nearest and dearest can harbor harmful behaviors and secrets, but hopefully we can lessen the possibility of a virtual stranger causing harm.

I was driving around today and passed a little girl in complete tears as she walked home from school. This made me very angry. Not at the little girl who was crying and not even because a child was in tears. The real source of my anger runs much much deeper and is a result of other individuals who have forced a change in our world that is bitterly unfair.

I would have loved to stop my car and offer this little girl a ride home, a shoulder to cry on or even just see what I could do to help make her feel a little bit better and brighten her day. But as painful as it was to watch this innocent little soul make her way home without intervening, I couldn’t. We as a society have taught our kids to avoid strangers at all costs in order to protect them. My stopping and the potential response from this child would undermine so many things built around keeping her safe from harm. Granted, I would have been a helping hand but if this child saw one nice stranger, she might think the next one is equally nice when in actuality they are exactly the type of person her mother warned her about. So, I drove on, angry at all of the individuals out there that have forced us to teach our kids to be a little bit paranoid and ever cautious and to never ever talk to strangers, even the nice ones.

There are many deep dark behaviors in this world that I can easily wrap my head around the whys, even if I don’t agree with them. Hurting children does not fit in that category. I just cannot grasp how people can hurt a child. How do you look into a child’s eyes and then proceed to do them harm? Children, even the most challenging ones are as pure and innocent as it gets. It disgusts me to know people do this, and on a very grand scale. The numbers have reached epidemic heights. I have heard and done all of the research on family history, genetics and all of those things but in the end EVERY person has a choice. We all make difficult choices each and every day, often going against our own biology, notions etc.

Relying solely on good decisions will of course always fail as people inherently choose the most ridiculous path available and frankly are incredibly selfish. Sure there are laws, but NONE of them work. The statistics for re-offending are astronomical. Why as a society are we not demanding more strict laws? We have all changed our own lives to protect ourselves from these predators and yet we have not enacted laws to really scare these criminals into change. If the punishment is severe, some of these dirt bags may reconsider their life path in order to preserve themselves. I believe this applies to most crimes, not just those that involve children. I just believe the most “special” punishments should be reserved for pedophiles and abusers. Unfortunately with our current system, justice is very rarely served.

The true prisoners are not the ones behind bars, but the rest of us. We are the ones suffering from cruel and unusual punishment. We cannot do anything without looking over our shoulder, checking to make sure we are safe. We have been forced to instill a certain sense of fear in kids to protect them from the harsh reality. They can’t learn to socialize and show respect in a world where strangers, even the good ones who wish them no ill will, are the enemy. It is no wonder our children are anti-social, disrespectful, and even overweight. They don’t have the freedoms they deserve as children. They can’t play in their own yards without extreme supervision or much of anything else for that matter. Now I am not saying these creeps are responsible for ALL of it, there are parental issues adding to the problem as well, but that is a rant for another day. Today’s wrath is reserved especially for those who do children harm.

I read an article today in Reader’s Digest entitled Rethink What You Drink and it reminded me of something I read or watched a few years back essentially mentioning the same thing. There have been several articles from various sources each discussing the lack of moderation over the bottled water industry, the potential for contamination and the notion that we could be drinking glorified tap water. But somehow even with the media coverage, according to RD there was a 10% increase in bottled water use from 2005 to 2006.

Should this increase surprise anyone? In an environment where few pay attention to what they ingest, why on earth would we care if we are drinking tap water as long as it tastes good. We eat burgers like they were going out of style, topped with cheese products where only the color truly mimics cheese.

Our society is riddled with fillers, processed foods, more sugar than is necessary or of course the alternative: sugar derivatives with no calories like Splenda or Nutra-sweet. We eat all of it up without hesitation, and then come back for seconds.

I see ingredients on packages that only would make sense to a scientist. I think the one that always throws me is the “Natural” and “Artificial” flavorings. Is that the fancy way of saying “we have no idea WHAT is in there” or is it a clever name for an actual ingredient? Can I buy a bottle of “Natural Flavor” off of a store shelf somewhere? Doesn’t “natural” imply it occurs already within an ingredient, therefore not needing to be listed?

Alco-pops such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Smirnoff Ice, or even your standard premium alcohol have no listed ingredients and we suck it back like there is no tomorrow and without question. All advertisers seem to dote on the “premium” ingredients, yet for all we know it could be created using water leftover from dirty socks, but the socks of course are “premium”. Of course alcohol itself is a “poison” but combined with other ingredients it could take that happy fuzzy poison to a higher level. Hmmm.. maybe that is what gives tequila its unique flavor…

I am sure there are regulations on top of regulations for most consumable goods designed to “protect” us from harm, and yet I believe you would be hard pressed to find an individual who believes that these products aren’t harmful in one way or another. I would be saddened to know that there are people out there that believe a Big Mac™ or Whopper™ are healthy. But of course, I know I am probably being overly optimistic there. The levels that humans can reach never ceases to amaze me.

Every other day there is a new “expert” study about all of the things that are going to kill us and the new diet we should be on, the new wonder drug, or new “danger” in the world. That same statement changes two weeks later and is trumped by a bigger, better, faster plan. The old one being dubbed dangerous. The stress and confusion trying to figure it all out might cause more trouble than the products themselves would have.

In an era where everything will kill me, understanding the effects and potentials some of the things I ingest will have, I choose to do it anyway. Is it because I have a death wish? Do I just not care about my health? In the end, how much does it really matter? We are all on an ultimate path of destruction, some of us choosing the fast lane. We might as well enjoy the journey. I myself will continue enjoying my dirty bottled tap water, my 100% beef Big Macs™, and my pesticide-laced fresh fruits.